No NATO combat role in Afghanistan: Stoltenberg

U.S. Secretary for Defense Jim Mattis (R) arrives prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on June 29, 2017. NATO defense ministers meet to discuss, among other issues, the situation in Afghanistan and defense spending. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Virginia Mayo

NATO allies will increase troop numbers in Afghanistan to help the government battle a resurgent Taliban but there is no question of returning to a combat role, the alliance’s chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday.

NATO ended its longest-ever military operation in 2014 when it handed over frontline duties to the Afghan military and took on an advice and training mission, but recent Taliban gains have dented hopes of a quick end to the war.

As he arrived for a defence ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss the issue, Stoltenberg said the 29 NATO allies were considering an increase of several thousand soldiers.

“I can confirm we will increase our presence in Afghanistan,” he said.

“We have to understand this is about training, assistance, advice… It is not to conduct combat operations but to help the Afghans fight.”

Additional troops now could help bolster Afghan special forces, improve Kabul’s air force to provide ground support and evacuations, and step up officer training, he added.

Stoltenberg did not give exact figures but diplomatic sources say an increase of up to 3,000 troops is under consideration.

The alliance currently has about 13,500 soldiers in what is known as the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, of which half are from the US.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is due to brief the allies later Thursday but Stoltenberg said he did not expect him to give specific troop numbers.

“We will look into how we together can… have enough troops to help the government and break the stalemate and so lay the ground for a political solution,” Stoltenberg said.

Separately, British Defence Minister Michael Fallon said London would provide just under 100 troops, on top of 500 already in Afghanistan.

Like Stoltenberg, Fallon emphasised that the troops would have no combat role and that the deployment was needed to help Afghanistan combat terrorism which threatened regions across the globe, including Europe.